Sophie's Diary: A Mathematical Novel 2nd Edition

Description

Sophie Germain, the first and only woman in history to make a substantial contribution to the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, grew up during the most turbulent years of the French Revolution. Her mathematical genius was discovered by Lagrange around 1797. Published research about Germain focuses on her achievements, noting that she assumed a man's name at the École Polytechnique in Paris, to submit her own work to Lagrange. Yet, no biography has explained how Germain learned mathematics before that time to become so sure of her analytical skills to carry out such a daring act. Sophie s Diary is an attempt to answer this question: How did Germain learn enough mathematics to enter the world of Lagrange s analysis in the first place? In Sophie s Diary, Germain comes to life through a fictionalized journal that intertwines mathematics with history of mathematics plus historically-accurate accounts of the brutal events that took place in Paris between 1789 and 1793. This format provides a plausible perspective of how a young Sophie could have learned mathematics on her own---both fascinated by numbers and eager to master tough subjects without a tutor s guidance. Her passion for mathematics is integrated into her personal life as an escape from societal outrage. Sophie s Diary is suitable for a variety of readers---both students and teachers, mathematicians and novices---who will be inspired and enlightened on a field of study made easy as is told through the intellectual and personal struggles of an exceptional young woman.